Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned.
First Sunrise
"Are you tired? Get some sleep… I'll be here." Fuji says softly, pulling the blankets higher as he gently pushes aside a few white strands of hair away from the other man's bespectacled face.
"No…" the other replies, "I don't want to sleep yet. Let me look at you for awhile longer."
Fuji nods and flips
open the album in his lap. It is thick and old, the edges of the
cover already slightly tattered and worn. He takes out a picture from
the slots and holds it closer to the other's face. "Remember this
place, where we first met? I watched you from the stands for a long
time before finally taking the courage to approach you, you know. You
were always the only one who would stay so late to practice tennis."
The other man grazes his fingers over the photograph briefly, "There
was also you. You played with me, no matter how late it got."
"Saa… we did spend a lot of time there ne?" Fuji chuckles
softly, putting the photograph back into its slot and flipping the
album, slowly looking through the photos he had already looked at
countless times.
"And this…" Fuji
starts again as he takes another photograph out of its slot, "…
was the first time you took me to the beach. It's a pity that I
could never watch the sunrise with you…" The old man then moves
his hand to hold on to Fuji's hand, lacing their fingers together
with slight difficulty, his joints not as agile as they used to be
anymore. "It's all right… even if we could only go out in the
night, it was always enjoyable to go out with you, Syusuke." Fuji's
smile widens as he takes out another photo, "Your graduation photo.
Double degree with first honors, ne? Look how charming you were…"
"Are you finally bothered by how old and wrinkly I've
gotten..?" the other man asks, a hint of exhaustion already in his
voice. "Not at all… you're still as charming, if not more. Men
are like wine, haven't you heard? Besides, if you're old, then
I'm even older. And you never minded being with an old man like
me."
Fuji leans down to press a kiss to the other man's lips, closing his eyes and indulging in the chaste intimacy for just a moment longer. Wrinkled fingers run through silky honey brown hair, before sliding down to stroke Fuji's smooth cheek. "Thank you for staying with me up till now, Syusuke…" Fuji shakes his head, his hand coming up to hold the other's hand firm against his cheek. "Don't be silly. You stayed with me for the better half of your life, even though you could easily find someone better than me. We're even."
Their fingers stay entwined as Fuji slowly flips through the rest of the album, making comments on the moments the photographs have captured every now and then, even when he is well aware that the other man is no longer awake, no longer living. He finally stops when he comes to the last page of the album, his gaze lingering on the photograph he took a few days ago, the last photo they took together.
Tears slide down his cheeks as he fingers the photograph fondly. His teary gaze refuses to leave the pair of wrinkled brown eyes in the photograph. The same pair of brown eyes that attracted his attention exactly 79 years ago, when the other man was just 16. The same pair of brown eyes that just looked at him moments ago. The pair of brown eyes that he will never get to see again.
He clenches his fist, angry at the sight of himself in the photograph, looking just the way he did when they just met. Just the way he looked more than a few hundred years ago… it had gotten so long that he had given up counting. Countless times had he thought of giving up on this meaningless immortality of his, until he met that man. The man that came to love him, and never stopped loving him throughout the 79 years they spent together, up till the last second of his mortal life.
Tossing the album aside, Fuji wraps his arms tightly around his dead lover, burying his face in the other's neck as he sobs painfully, the tight ache in his chest making it difficult for him to breathe. He has been anticipating this day since a few years ago, and he's been telling himself that this is inevitable and that he is ready to accept it, his lover is human after all, unlike him. But it is only now that he realizes he is not ready at all.
By the time he finally ceases his sobbing, it is close to dawn. He sits up in bed and pulls the limp body against his own, wrapping an arm around the other man's shoulder. He looks out of the window and smiles as he sees the first ray of sunlight tinting the sky red.
"Ne, Kunimitsu… I finally get to watch the sunrise with you." He whispers, holding the other tightly in his arms. With every ray of sunlight that comes in through the window, he feels a scorching pain. His body burns and he can't breathe. But he smiles, nuzzling his cheek against the other man's.
Soon, he can be with Tezuka again.
-end-
A/N: If you haven't realized, Fuji is a vampireeeee.
I had much difficulty writing this because with every line or two, tears were threatening to spill out of my eyes, and it was a challenge to write coherent sentences while sobbing. It's been a while since I've cried so much, it feels comforting.
Reviews and comments much appreciated:)